*8 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



loud tone. It may be proper to remark, that all 

 thefe natives have a very fhrill voice. As it was 

 almoft calm, we endeavoured to attract them to 

 our fhip ; but they would not venture to ap- 

 proach near enough to receive our prefents. 



It was imagined by fome of our officers, that 

 a fky- rocket would afford them a great deal of 

 pleafure ; but it was quite the reverfe : this fight 

 ferved only to frighten them, and they made off 

 with precipitation. 



Notwithstanding the darknefs of the night, 

 thefe two canoes returned, taking advantage of 

 our top-light. We fent them a few articles of 

 hardware, fattened to a plank, on which was 

 fixed a lighted candle. This light, which wc 

 were viflbly leaving, fixed their whole attention ; 

 but they durft not approach within three or four 

 hundred meters of it, and they kept away from 

 our fhip. We were highly amutcd at hearing 

 the two chiefs for a long time addrefling their 

 difcourfc to the candle. They fpokc with much 

 warmth, thinking, no doubt, that fome of us 

 were coming towards them with this light. Pro- 

 bably wearied out by a filcncc which formed Co 

 lingular a contrail to their loquacity, they fct 

 off, at the expiration of two hours, towards their 

 ifland. During all this time wc had obferved 

 fires lighted on the fhore, perhaps to indicate to 

 thefe canoes the place where they were to land. 



Wc 

 4 





